Polymers for Bioprinting

Abstract Bioprinting is a process of precisely designed scaffolds using three-dimensional printing technologies for functional tissue engineering utilizing cell-laden biomaterials as bioink. A range of polymers can be used as bioink to stimulate favorable cellular interactions, leading to enhanced cell motility, proliferation, and subsequent differentiation. Both natural and synthetic polymers have been considered for various bioprinting applications, each with a corresponding set of advantages and limitations. Natural polymers more aptly mimic the native extracellular matrix, leading to more favorable cellular responses, while synthetic polymers can be more easily tailored for more efficient printing. Because many of these bioink materials are rooted in traditional tissue engineering scaffold design, bioprinting optimization remains a challenge; however, emerging trends in bioink development have begun to circumvent these issues, providing bioprinting research with a very promising future in regenerative medicine. Further investigation into the interplay of polymer type and fabrication technique will help to formulate new polymer bioinks that can expedite the process from printing to implantation.